More performances like Thursday might give management pause for thought, that they can become one of the dominating teams in the league.

“This was a big two points because we’re about to play some of the best teams in the league,” Spitfires forward Kerby Rychel said.

Thursday’s win pushed the Spitfires a point ahead of Saginaw in the race for third place in the West Division, but it was a slow start.

Saginaw outshot the Spitfires 17-10 in the opening period, but solid goaltending from Windsor goalie Jaroslav Pavelka gave his team time to get its footing.

“(Pavelka’s) kept us in and he does it every night,” Spitfires defenceman Pat Sieloff said. “I think we had a little rust (with a six-day layoff) in the first, but got better.”

Derek Schoenmakers scored on a Windsor power play and Brady Vail pushed the lead to 2-0, but Saginaw’s Nick Moutrey scored late in the first period to make it a one-goal game.

“Pav kept us in when we were sloppy and it could have been a lot different,” Boughner said.

But after allowing 17 shots in the opening period, the Spitfires limited Saginaw to just 11 over the final two periods.

A dominating 20-5 edge in the second period enabled Windsor to open a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes with Ebert scoring and Rychel getting another power-play goal on a two-man advantage late in the period.

“We kept our composure,” said Boughner, whose team was given nine power-play chances by the Spirit. “We talked about our discipline because we weren’t very good at it in Plymouth.”

Saginaw was upset with another big open-ice hit by Sieloff on David Perklin in the second period.

“You don’t want to take that part of his game away,” Boughner said.

The Spirit generated little in the third period as Justin Kea kept his team short-handed after driving Windsor’s Brandon Devlin into the boards from behind. Former Spitfire Eric Locke also wound up tossed from the game after going after Sieloff.

Vail and Rychel each notched their second in the final period and Rychel wound up recording the first five-point game of his OHL career.

“It doesn’t matter who gets the goals,” said Rychel, who has 11 goals and 19 points in his last 13 games. “I was just fortunate to get some bounces.”

But with a game Saturday in Barrie against the Eastern Conference –leading Colts and a Sunday game in Owen Sound against the Western Conference-leading Attack, there’s little time for the Spitfires to relish one win.

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